I'm thinking of upgrading my PC to dual GPU, what do the experts think?

[W!LD]

Alright, so here's where we're at:

- R7 2700x on Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite

- 1x Asus ROG Strix 1660ti that I got for like $280 or something like that

 

So, I was thinking of buying a 1080p 144hz ultrawide as a new primary monitor ($200-250) and using my current 27" 1080p 144hz as a secondary monitor. To do so I would really want to buy another graphics card (probably 2060S or 2070S) to have the extra horsepower for an ultrawide at 144hz. Additionally I'd want the new GPU to be a strix card because my PC is sort of themed around the one I have. (New GPU would be used for ultrawide, old for old monitor)

 

So really the question is, is this even possible? Will it work with the motherboard I have? Also if anyone has any other recommendations or ideas I'm all ears. Just brainstorming at this point.

[Jurrunio]

Why dual GPU then? A single Nvidia card can drive I think at least 4 displays if not 5

[Mr Technician]

Just get the better GPU and run everything off it.

[Xiee]

Either a 2070 Super or a 5700 XT should do you fine. No need for dual GPUs.

[W!LD]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

Why dual GPU then? A single Nvidia card can drive I think at least 4 displays if not 5

Yes, but I don't think the 1660ti could drive an ultrawide at 144hz in some of the games I play. (Subnautica, Sea of Thieves, etc)

[Jurrunio]

1 minute ago, W!LD said:

Yes, but I don't think the 1660ti could drive an ultrawide at 144hz in some of the games I play. (Subnautica, Sea of Thieves, etc)

Then don't use the 1660Ti, just get a Strix card for upgrade.

[W!LD]

2 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Then don't use the 1660Ti, just get a Strix card for upgrade.

Ok, would it work though? Is it even an option? I'm just looking for a way to upgrade without wasting perfectly good components I already own. And from a little of my own research there doesn't seem to be any significant performance detriment to either card. 

[Jurrunio]

2 minutes ago, W!LD said:

Ok, would it work though? Is it even an option?

it will work (apart from potentially choking the new card), but it's also silly to use 2 cards for a job that 1 will do.

 

2 minutes ago, W!LD said:

I'm just looking for a way to upgrade without wasting perfectly good components I already own.

Sell it to fund the upgrade?

 

2 minutes ago, W!LD said:

And from a little of my own research there doesn't seem to be any significant performance detriment to either card. 

not sure what you actually looked up.

[W!LD]

Thanks for input btw

[Crunchy Dragon]

I would just get the better GPU.

[The Torrent]

23 minutes ago, W!LD said:

Alright, so here's where we're at:

- R7 2700x on Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite

- 1x Asus ROG Strix 1660ti that I got for like $280 or something like that

 

So, I was thinking of buying a 1080p 144hz ultrawide as a new primary monitor ($200-250) and using my current 27" 1080p 144hz as a secondary monitor. To do so I would really want to buy another graphics card (probably 2060S or 2070S) to have the extra horsepower for an ultrawide at 144hz. Additionally I'd want the new GPU to be a strix card because my PC is sort of themed around the one I have. (New GPU would be used for ultrawide, old for old monitor)

 

So really the question is, is this even possible? Will it work with the motherboard I have? Also if anyone has any other recommendations or ideas I'm all ears. Just brainstorming at this point.

Honest first thoughts opinion:

that’s dumb sorry

 

 

so from what I’m getting - you have a gpu but want it to be strix,

easy solve - sell your current gpu (dont bin it as that will be ‘wasting’ as you say) and buy a strix one.

 

i believe that having 2 different gpu’s in one system actually decreases frame rate and causes I read somewhere and can’t be bothered to google where so I wouldn’t recommend that.

[The Torrent]

After re-reading I think this is even dumber,

 

 

why would you have 2 of the same gpu? Your not gonna get performance increase unless for some reason your running a different game on each monitor.

 

sell ur card buy another better one plug both into it.

 

 

edit after triple re:reading less dumb above point stands sell and buy a better gpu

[Rancidpunk]

I run a 144hz monitor, a 60hz one and a 55" 4k UHD tv off my 1660 ti without a problem.

 

Admittedly I run my main monitor off the Display Port and the tv off HDMI so the tv isn't getting a 4k signal from the GPU, I leave the upscaling to the tv.

[W!LD]

19 minutes ago, Rancidpunk said:

I run a 144hz monitor, a 60hz one and a 55" 4k UHD tv off my 1660 ti without a problem.

Do you get 144fps in games you play? What games? I've done some work in GPU tweak trying to squeeze the most out of my GPU, but I still can't break the 144fps mark in Sea of Thieves on settings higher than medium. Don't even get me started on Subnautica, although also admittedly I don't know if a 2080S could get 144fps out of that game... it's so poorly optimized lol

[Rancidpunk]

1 hour ago, W!LD said:

Do you get 144fps in games you play? What games? I've done some work in GPU tweak trying to squeeze the most out of my GPU, but I still can't break the 144fps mark in Sea of Thieves on settings higher than medium. Don't even get me started on Subnautica, although also admittedly I don't know if a 2080S could get 144fps out of that game... it's so poorly optimized lol

I mostly play World of Tanks which could run off a potato so the fps on that is 240+, other games like Total War or Transport Fever 2 I lower the settings a bit and get round the 120 to 150 area but with the GSync I don't notice any problems.

[W!LD]

23 hours ago, Rancidpunk said:

I mostly play World of Tanks which could run off a potato so the fps on that is 240+, other games like Total War or Transport Fever 2 I lower the settings a bit and get round the 120 to 150 area but with the GSync I don't notice any problems.

Alright, thanks for the reply!

[dogwitch]

unless your running multi monitor. past 2 of them and uber high speed . its not really needed.

i run dual cards. but  its not used normal for gaming. so..... yeah

[Mick Naughty]

Yea for just 2 monitors I’d use a single card. Then at 3 I’d prolly use the mobo for one as I can do that. Then anymore I’d use another card. 

[W!LD]

On 1/31/2020 at 5:59 AM, Mick Naughty said:

Yea for just 2 monitors I’d use a single card. Then at 3 I’d prolly use the mobo for one as I can do that. Then anymore I’d use another card. 

Alright, thanks for the reply! I thin this is what i'll do. Nice to know I can save the extra $.

[Osiris199]

Being a user of 2 290's for 6 years, I wouldn't recommend multi-gpu solutions anymore, since support barely exists anymore in modern games, and even then it's not guaranteed it works well at all. I'm waiting for the RTX 3000 series to upgrade to either a 2070 super or better. No more SLI or Crossfire for me anymore.
Performance aside the limited airflow between the cards and the PSU, makes them run hotter and louder than normal. Yesterday they were running 52 and 58 degrees at idle.
And those are Vapor Chamber cards.
Which makes it harder to keep the CPU cool as well.

[Mick Naughty]

45 minutes ago, Osiris199 said:

Being a user of 2 290's for 6 years, I wouldn't recommend multi-gpu solutions anymore, since support barely exists anymore in modern games, and even then it's not guaranteed it works well at all. I'm waiting for the RTX 3000 series to upgrade to either a 2070 super or better. No more SLI or Crossfire for me anymore.
Performance aside the limited airflow between the cards and the PSU, makes them run hotter and louder than normal. Yesterday they were running 52 and 58 degrees at idle.
And those are Vapor Chamber cards.
Which makes it harder to keep the CPU cool as well.

You didn’t read the op’s post at all did you?

[ZzLy]

On 1/29/2020 at 11:09 PM, W!LD said:

Alright, so here's where we're at:

- R7 2700x on Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite

- 1x Asus ROG Strix 1660ti that I got for like $280 or something like that

 

So, I was thinking of buying a 1080p 144hz ultrawide as a new primary monitor ($200-250) and using my current 27" 1080p 144hz as a secondary monitor. To do so I would really want to buy another graphics card (probably 2060S or 2070S) to have the extra horsepower for an ultrawide at 144hz. Additionally I'd want the new GPU to be a strix card because my PC is sort of themed around the one I have. (New GPU would be used for ultrawide, old for old monitor)

 

So really the question is, is this even possible? Will it work with the motherboard I have? Also if anyone has any other recommendations or ideas I'm all ears. Just brainstorming at this point.

SLI is dead, only a few games support it and nearly none of the new games being released are supporting it.

[Mick Naughty]

30 minutes ago, ZzLy said:

SLI is dead, only a few games support it and nearly none of the new games being released are supporting it.

Assume you didn’t read it either. 

[ZzLy]

On 1/29/2020 at 11:39 PM, Rancidpunk said:

I run a 144hz monitor, a 60hz one and a 55" 4k UHD tv off my 1660 ti without a problem.

 

Admittedly I run my main monitor off the Display Port and the tv off HDMI so the tv isn't getting a 4k signal from the GPU, I leave the upscaling to the tv.

HDMI should be able to do 4K right? If not, it's the cable bottlenecking you. I can't imagine someone making a 4K tv with HDMI ports that don't support the full resolution.

[Rancidpunk]

15 minutes ago, ZzLy said:

HDMI should be able to do 4K right? If not, it's the cable bottlenecking you. I can't imagine someone making a 4K tv with HDMI ports that don't support the full resolution.

Yes it does, the Nvidia 10 series have hdmi 2.0b which supports 4k at 24hz but I think you can only have 60hz 4k using the Display Port 1.4a. Not really an issue for gaming as you won't be getting close to 60hz/60fps at 4k with a 1660ti so you only need to use DP for watching movies at 4k 60hz.